Recently, a client of ours launched a nationwide campaign and brought on a celebrity as the spokesperson to drive consumer and press interest. It turned out to be a huge hit and we worked with the celebrity to generate media opportunities in a variety of markets around the country.
From Philadelphia to Honolulu, radio airwaves, TV shows, and newspaper columns were overflowing with provocative stories tied to the campaign.
Well, at least until the celebrity Ken Griffey’d us and got tired (or frustrated or bored, I’m not quite sure).
After reviewing a local TV piece that neglected to mention the client, we asked the reporter what had happened. Of course, our minds went to the standard occurrences – The celebrity must have forgotten to mention the client or the reporter must have cut the company references while editing.
Well…sort of – in the words of the reporter:
“We got some great sound bites from him, but we had to cut many of them out because he dropped the ‘f bomb’ quite a bit.”
O.K., I get it, you’re a celebrity. You’re used to “livin’ de life” A-Samuels style with few rules and no filter. If a miracle were to occur and I was able to achieve either of my crazy dreams (namely becoming the next Derek Jeter or John Bonham), I would lead that life. So let me just set the record straight – this is not a post inspired by my personal moral compass.
However, not to be cliché, but like anything else in life, there really is a time and a place. When you’re in the heat of competition or in the midst of a performance, do what you need to do to relax and perform well. However, when you’re in public and you’re representing more than just your personal brand, let’s take it down a notch.
Unfortunately, if you’re a PR professional, you can’t control what happens when the camera’s rolling. Just do your best to prepare your clients beforehand and hope they have the charisma, confidence, and common sense to put their company’s best face forward.
But, hey, when it’s all said and done, hopefully you can laugh it off. I’m sure this guy’s news team did after the fact. Share your favorite camera rolling blunder in the comments below!